Custom Data Missing

Question

I am attempting to view or use custom data for my subscriber but it is missing. I know custom data was available for my subscribers at one point. How did the data disappear?

Answer

Two possible situations may result in missing data.

Prior to v8.0.4, the Type of an existing Custom Field could be changed. Because data of different types is stored in different columns in the database, Custom Field data will no longer be available if the Type of that field is changed. In versions after 8.0.4, it is not possible to change the Type of a Custom Field that has already been created.

In v8.0, the SmartSubscribe feature was added to Import Subscribers. When the 'Use SmartSubscribe' box is selected in the Import Subscribers wizard, Subscriber and Custom Data fields will be blanked out if the field for a particular subscriber in the import file is blank. If you do not wish to clear data, be sure to send data in the import file, or uncheck the SmartSubscribe option during import.